Life's Little Moments
by Elvish Song
Summary: Eowyn gets an unexpected lesson about life and loneliness from an elf she never expected to befriend. A Legolas and Eowyn story following movie verse. Set on the trip to Helm's Deep.


**Note to Readers: Everything that you recognize does not belong to me. I'm just borrowing the characters for my own and hopefully for your enjoyment**.

**This story takes place on the journey to Helm's Deep. It's also movie verse because Eomer is not with them**.

Life's Little Moments

Eowyn smiled to herself as she thought back over the afternoon. She had learned so much as their large company traveled towards Helm's Deep to seek protection within it's stone walls. The newcomers to Rohan had come at the most difficult of times and had given her uncle back to her. She had known for a long time that Grima had been behind her uncle's condition, and she and her brother had long tried to get through to him to no avail. She was pleased beyond words that Gandalf had been able to free the King of Saruman's evil hold.

Now Eowyn wished that Gandalf could be successful in bringing her brother back to them. Rohan needed Eomer at this dark time and so did their uncle. However, she was grateful that though her brother and cousin were no longer with her, Gandalf's company were riding with them and were offering aid.

They were friends to the white wizard and dedicated to the war against Sauron and all of the monsters that came from Mordor. The dwarf she adored. He was noble and proud. He had entertained her with stories throughout their travels so far and she found his company very comforting. The elf, she'd barely seen at all. He seemed quiet and distant, though she could see the loyalty he had for his companions in his eyes, and a protectiveness she'd never seen before.

It was Lord Aragorn that had caught her interest most of all. There was just something about him that made her respect, admire and envious of him all at once. The lost King of Gondor was handsome to say the least, but it was more than that. He was more than that, and she soaked in as much time with him that she could, for he seemed different than all of the other men that she had come across in her lifetime. He did not seek power or riches. He didn't see her as a means to a throne. He just….he saw her.

She hummed a soft song to herself as she rolled out a small blanket for a mother and her small child, who thanked her graciously. "You're welcome" Eowyn replied as she offered out the few other blankets she carried to the other refugees who had settled down for the night. It had been a long day, and all were in need of some rest.

She spotted Aragorn sitting by a small pond, smoking his pipe. Her first instinct was to go to him, but she paused her approach when she saw the look on his face. He was deep in thought and seemed saddened by something. She wanted to comfort him, but knew it was not her place to do so.

It was Gimli she saw next. The dwarf was sitting by a small fire, surrounded a few of the men and children who were much eager to forget their troubles for a few hours and listen to some of the stout being's tales of his homeland. She passed by him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He nodded to her and wished her a sweet night's sleep and she made her way over to where her own bedroll had been laid out for her.

As she sat down and placed a blanket over herself, she let out a yawn and was about to lay down when something caught her attention. She could have sworn she saw movement in the field to her left. She studied the area for a moment, knowing that none of the camp ventured that way, as it was dangerous to separate from the group. She saw nothing, and heard nothing as well.

"You're seeing things" she told herself as she let out another yawn.

There. She had seen it again. A light of some sort. Not that of a fire's flame, but more like the glow the moon gives off when reflecting in a pool of water. She thought about it for a moment, and knew that it was impossible, for there was no body of water that direction. Then what was it? She wondered.

With no wee bit of courage, the shield maiden rose from her place and approached the field. Those around her were either sleeping or enjoying the dwarven stories, and none saw her as she hesitantly, but sturdily made her way towards the light she had seen.

She knew she shouldn't have gone off alone, and she was aware of the reprimand she would receive for putting herself in harm's way, but her curiosity got the better of her. Besides that, she could take care of herself.

Taking a small dagger from her boot, she walked as quietly as she could towards a small clearing where the light seemed to be coming from. As she got closer, she saw that the light was coming from a figure that stood within the clearing. A tall figure, standing perfectly still, gazing upwards at the night sky. A figure that was glowing.

Eowyn narrowed her eyes and she held the hilt of her dagger a little tighter as she took another step forward. She flinched when the twig she stepped upon snapped in half and alerted the other of her presence. She froze mid step and waited for them to react, but the figure didn't move at all. In fact, there was no sign at all that whoever this was had heard her.

She found herself becoming more curious, and it was this that drove her to continue her approach the figure, who as she got closer, she recognized to be the elven friend of Aragorn. She paused again when she realized who it was. She suddenly felt nervous and unsure of herself. There was a cloud of mystery that surrounded this being that she wasn't quite sure about. She knew that he wasn't to be feared, but how would he react to her intruding on him in the middle of the night?

"You thought me an orc, Milady?" came the soft voice of the creature that still made no move as he spoke. Eowyn noted that he didn't have to turn around to know who she was or that she held a weapon in her hand. Her brow creased as she lowered the blade.

"I thought none of our company ventured this way, away from the encampment."

Legolas smiled to himself but still did not face her. "None have" was his answer.

"Do you not count yourself as one of our company?" she questioned as she gained a little more courage and took a stand beside the elf and studied his profile as he kept his own eyes on the stars above. He didn't answer her question, and she pressed further. It was new to her to have someone not respond when she asked a question of them.

"Why do you come out here on your own, Lord elf?"

Legolas closed his eyes and allowed his head to fall forward so that his chin touched the tip of his collar bone. His hands were still clasped together behind his back, and he allowed the crisp breeze to caress his face for a moment before he answered the maiden by his side.

"Your people are unaccustomed to the presence of elves" he spoke quietly. His voice was soothing and reminded Eowyn of a velvet mist. His words came out almost as a song would and put her a little more at ease. "I do them a better service by keeping my distance."

Eowyn thought about what he said to her. His eyes were still closed, and they both remained silent for some time. She wondered if perhaps he had fallen asleep, for she had heard stories of how elves could sleep standing up. If not for the sight she saw next she would have left him then and there but now that was the last thing on her mind.

A solitary tear left his closed eyes, and rested now upon his pale cheek, lingering, as though it wished not to leave to fair creature that had created it. Eowyn found herself transfixed. She turned and faced him fully now, but could not breath a word. She found the sight before her the most heart breaking and yet the most beautiful she had ever laid her eyes on before.

Elves were angelic beings, and the most dear to the Valar, and it was in this moment that she understood why. Elves were not humans. They were beyond anything a mortal could ever be. Strong, yet gentle. Fierce, yet peaceful. Quiet, yet spoke a thousand words with a simple look. They were beyond comprehension of mankind, and it made her feel a bit sad that she would never understand the race. Especially now, for their kind were passing into legend.

"You are lonely" she found herself saying before she could stop herself from doing so. The statement caused Legolas to open his eyes finally and turn to her. He looked at her and she could feel his gaze passing right into her. It was as though he could see into her very soul and it was unsettling, yet at the same time gave her a sense of relief. She could hide nothing from this elf, and it was surprisingly comforting. She felt naked before him, and without anything to hide behind, she no longer had to hide what she felt or thought. She enjoyed that feeling.

"No more than you are" he began as he gently took her left hand and led her to stand in front of him so that her back was to him. Eowyn did not quite know what the elf was doing, but she felt like she could trust him, and allowed him to continue to hold both of her hands in front of them as he spoke again, over her shoulder.

"It is easy to feel alone in this world, Eowyn." She tilted her head and looked at their folded hands as she registered that he had spoken her name plainly. Unexpectedly, it did not bother her and she allowed him to finish what he was saying. "There are forces at work in the world that seek to make us feel such. However we fail to see that there is more in this world that we do not see. That we are too busy to see."

The cool breeze encircled the pair as the elf spoke, and Eowyn felt herself falling deeper into the elf that held her from behind. There was no feeling of lust coming from the elf, no, instead it was only the desire to comfort, and protect her. She may not have realized it at the time, but she had never once felt safer than she did at this moment.

"We forget sometimes that this world was not created with an evil intent or out of darkness. It was born out of love, devotion and above all else, life. Life is it's purpose, and our purpose is to live it. To cherish and protect it. We get so swept up in our own problems, wars and doubts that we miss the little things that would make us happier if we would only allow happiness in.

If you look close enough and learn to see the beauty that life has to offer you, you will find goodness, a purity that will make all of those insignificants and insecurities disappear. You will find yourself in moment where the world that surrounds you is in complete chaos, yet before you there is still a light."

As he spoke to her, Legolas let go of her hands and tenderly turned her chin to the ground to their left. She looked to see a small feline curled up at the base of a large bush. It took a second but soon she spotted what it was that Legolas had wanted her to see. Three tiny felines were tucked into the belly of the larger one. The small family slept quietly and securely under the watch of the elf and herself.

Eowyn smiled and felt herself nuzzling deeper into the being that stood behind her. "There is still life that has not been touched by the evil that clouds our thoughts and plagues our dreams. And when we see this, a memory is created. A cherished memory that will get us through the darkest times and in our loneliest nights, remind us that we are not on our own."

Eowyn turned her head and as Legolas released her, she turned her body as well so that they now came face to face with one another. Eowyn knew not what to say, and it seemed that Legolas had no more to say either. They stood like this for a few minutes, until a single tear left Eowyn's eye and rested on her face unmoving.

Legolas smiled at her and lifted his hand to brush it away, but the pair were swiftly interrupted by the sound of a very irritated voice, who both instantly recognized to belong to Gimli the dwarf, who had come looking for the elf.

"Legolas! Ah, there you are laddie. I was wondering where you ran off too. Off chasing butterflies again, were we? Elves!" he grumbled as Eowyn quickly took a step backwards and wiped the tear away herself.

The elf noticed her sudden embarrassment at being caught so close to him, and he hid his smile. Humans allowed themselves to become so worried about the way they were viewed. He and Eowyn had done nothing wrong, yet she was still acting as if they had. He would never fully understand the race of men, this he knew to be true now more than ever.

"Milady?" Gimli exclaimed as he noticed her presence. "I didn't expect to see you out here as well. Did the elf drag you out here to bore you with one of his tree hugging lessons?" he elbowed Legolas in the side good heartedly, causing the elf to shake his golden head at him.

"No," Eowyn answered with a small smile. "He did nothing to bore me, I assure you." Legolas smiled at her as she spoke, and Gimli let out a huff.

"Well then, Las, you have a far longer attention span than I do, I shall give you that."

"Gimli, my dear friend, you have a shorter attention span than those of the rocks you dig for" Legolas replied casually, causing the dwarf to snort.

"Quiet, master elf, or else the only rocks I shall be digging for will be the ones in that pretty head of yours."

Legolas laughed lightly, and Eowyn broke up the bickering as she spoke once again. "I think I shall return to the camp" she began. "Sleep well, both of you."

"Good night, Milady" Gimli replied as he lit his pipe. Legolas on the other hand did not speak and only smiled at her once again. She returned the gesture, and mouthed a silent 'Thank you' to him as she bowed her head to him.

"Your welcome" he replied as he brought his hand to his chest and then motioned it outward, towards her in peace. It was her turn to smile now, before she turned and started back to her waiting bedroll.

"Yes" she thought to herself, "a cherished memory indeed."

**Please review and tell me what you think. I hope you liked it.**


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